pakistani army soldiers deployed in the so-called "Red Zone" of Islamabad, on April 10, 2026. (Credit: Illustrative photo/AFP)
BEIRUT — Pakistan and Kuwait on Thursday signed a defense cooperation protocol aimed at "significantly strengthening" their military cooperation, the Pakistani defense ministry said.
The agreement was signed during a visit to Pakistan by Kuwaiti Defense Minister Sheikh Abdullah Ali Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, who met with his Pakistani counterpart, Khawaja Asif, as well as Army Chief Gen. Asim Munir, in Rawalpindi, according to regional media.
Under the protocol, the Pakistani armed forces will assist Kuwait in areas such as training, capacity building, border management and other aspects of defense cooperation.
The Pakistani defense ministry added, in its statement, that the "2026 Memorandum of Understanding" significantly bolsters the military cooperation framework established by the defense cooperation agreement signed by Pakistan and Kuwait in June 2023. The development comes just weeks after Kuwait ratified that agreement and as Pakistan joined Saudi Arabia and Turkey in a separate mutual defense pact amid rising tensions in the Middle East.
